Devon Cricket Board - 2015 Devon U10s v U10 Lions report 2

2015 Devon U10s v U10 Lions report 2

A superb spectacle of cricketing skill was put on by the combined ranks of 22 Under 10s cricketers in the gorgeous setting of Heathcoat Cricket Club.

By contrast to the 1st 'squad game' at the start of the season, this time the 'Devon' and 'Lions' teams were selected to give more of an even contest. This meant that front line Devon seamers Ed Butler and James Tyler were named in the 'Lions' team along with opener Harry Southgate and keeper/batsman Morgan Couch.

The Lions were asked to bat first and at one stage looked set for a total above 200 runs as some wayward bowling and dubious field setting, along with excellent stroke play from the Lions top order, kept the scoreboard ticking along at a healthy rate.

Morgan Couch top scored with an innovative 28 and Ed Butler smashed a rapid 26 off just 30 balls whilst Otis Morgan (23) and Harry Southgate (16) also contributed well. Devon were grateful for the efforts of Jack Whittaker (8-0-19-0), Jake Agnew (8-1-25-0) and George Tapley (4-0-13-0) in keeping the final score well below the 200 mark which looked possible at one stage. Passenger, Jeacock and Pascoe claimed a wicket apiece with 3 run outs including two in a helter-skelter finale to leave the Lions on 170/6 after 40 overs.

The Devon reply hit the buffers almost from the off with James Tyler ripping through a re-jigged Devon top order to leave them at 30/3. If the Devon middle order thought they would get some respite from the change bowlers they were very wrong, as Nickell and Doulton carried on where Tyler had left off. When Doulton had Will Popham well caught by Morgan from a top edge, the Lions looked like pulling off an emphatic victory with Devon in turmoil at 68/8 still over 100 runs behind.

Luckily for Devon, the changed batting order meant two of the usual upper order - Jack Whittaker and Cameron Ford - were still at the crease. With great maturity they set about rebuilding the innings and having been part of a Devon batting collapse at Dorset earlier in the season, showed great understanding of the need to grind out overs before worrying about the run chase.

In some absorbing middle overs the pair gradually accumulated runs with Ford playing low risk cricket to work the ball into gaps for regular singles, whilst Whittaker was more interested in punishing occasional bad balls to the short leg side boundary from one end.

By the time Butler, Nickell and Tyler were recalled for 2nd spells, the game had moved on but Devon still needed 60 runs from the last 9 overs. With both batters now well set and with little to lose, the pair upped the ante and a flurry of boundaries suddenly saw them within sight of their victory target with just 3 overs to go.

However there was still a twist in the tail, as James Doulton produced another swinging yorker to demolish Ford's stumps with 6 runs still needed. The wicket ended a 97 run partnership for the 9th wicket in 22 overs but it meant last man Agnew had to try and keep Whittaker company.

A couple of extras and a single left 4 needed for victory, and in a thrilling finale, Whittaker pulled the last ball of the 39th over in the air towards backward square leg. A diving Harry Southgate just couldnt grow tall enough to claim what would have been a stunning catch, and as the ball thudded into the fence, Devon had claimed victory by 1 wicket.

Whittaker ended the game 54 not out, a total which included nine 4s, whilst Ford was dismissed for a patient 24 without once finding the boundary.

There were some excellent bowling figures for the Lions, including James Tyler 8-0-22-3; James Doulton 5-0-13-3 and Noah Ryder 5-2-14-0.

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